White spots on the face can be a sign of vitiligo

Disease, when there are white spots on the face and other visible areas (arms, legs), called vitiligo. Such a violation of pigmentation can occur in people of any race, but most often young people with swarthy skin are exposed to it.

Causes of Vitiligo

Normally, the skin contains a brown pigment - melanin, produced by coloring it in flesh-colored cells (melanocytes). When examining the skin of people who have white spots on their face, legs, or arms, the absence of melanocytes is detected under the microscope. The reasons for this are unknown until now, but experts identify some factors that can provoke vitiligo. These include autoimmune disorders (in which human immunity becomes hyperactive and eliminates melanocytes), stressful situations, exposure to certain chemicals, neuronal and viral factors, damage to the skin during sunburn, and wounds on the skin.

How is vitiligo manifested?

Even in childhood, vitiligo can be expressed as the surrounding birthmark halo of depigmentation. That is, around any mole on the body, the skin becomes much lighter than it should be in a normal state. In general, the signs of discoloration are primarily found in those parts of the skin that are constantly exposed to sunlight. Therefore, if you have a white spot on your face, this may well be a symptom of vitiligo. Usually such spots appear a little: they are asymmetrical, with uneven edges, which is explained by the alternation of zones with partial loss of melanin with zones of its complete absence. It also happens that white spots on the skin of the face, hands or feet appear only on one side. This condition is called segmental vitiligo. In some people, the skin is damaged only in those places where there were any injuries, for example, scratches, surgical sutures.

Treatment of vitiligo

The main goal in the treatment of vitiligo is to force the body to independently produce melanin, which will neutralize white spots on the face and limbs. For this purpose, patients are prescribed medications that increase the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet light. Such drugs can be used either orally (taking tablets) or externally (rubbing into unpigmented skin areas of ointments or special solutions). Photochemotherapy and skin irradiation with ultraviolet rays can also be performed. It is possible to achieve a good result in treatment, but the process of therapy will have to be repeated several times with minimal pauses between courses. In recent years, more and more specialists have been removing white spots on the face with laser therapy and photosensitizing drugs. By the way, laser therapy in comparison with photochemotherapy has a number of significant advantages, consisting in a shorter period of treatment and no side effects. In patients suffering from vitiligo, the body lacks copper and vitamin C, so these substances must necessarily be taken in the composition of medicines. Immunomodulatory medications are also prescribed. Often, skin transplants are often used as a method of treatment .